Thursday March 6th, 2008
Senate Indian Affairs Committee Hearing on
Facilities in Indian Country
The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs today held a hearing on the State of Facilities in Indian Country covering jails, schools, and health facilities.
Over the last 25 years annual federal spending has gone from $115 million to almost $140 million for health care facilities, said Senate Indian Affairs Committee Chairman Byron L. Dorgan, D-ND, who opened the hearing. The administration’s budget request is extremely low, $15.8 million. “Yet the funding needed is $2.6 billion. Let me repeat that,” said Chairman Dorgan. “At the current rate it will take 165 years.”
With respect to schools the bureau funds 4,500 school buildings. These facilities provide education for 60,000 students. As of the year 2000 half of the school facilities exceeded their useful years by 30 years, and half of them are over 50 years old.
The Inspector General found, in Arizona, severe deterioration. The Inspector General warned that the failure to mitigate these conditions will likely cause injury or death to children or to school employees. The school in Many Farms, AZ has a crumbling foundation that has resulted in a moving wall. The Kayenta boarding school had water leaks and buckled sidewalks. We have very serious facility problems in health care, education, and jails, Chairman Dorgan said.
The detention facilities are in such poor condition that they are completely out of compliance with building codes and professional jail standards. The inspector general named it a national disgrace.
A consulting study has not been given to the committee today, and was due in December 2007. The study is an assessment and cost analysis of existing BIA facilities throughout Indian country.
I don’t understand why this committee does not have that information today, said Chairman Dorgan. “I think it’s arrogant and it’s wrong.”
During the question and answer period of today’s committee hearing, Indian Affairs Committee Chairman Dorgan began the dialogue by bringing attention to the decreasing funding of schools.
You all have painted a pretty optimistic picture, he said. Replacement school construction went from $83 to $46, and now down to $22 million. “We have a $1.8 billion backlog, and its cut again by half, and you’re telling me things are pretty optimistic,” said Chairman Dorgan.
“Do we really need to replace every school in the entire campus,” said Jack Rever, BIA facilities director.
“Let’s cut the facilities construction in Indian health. BIA jails, repair, and renovation let’s cut that by 30 percent, Department of Justice tribal jails, let’s zero that out,” Chairman Dorgan said as he lashed out at the BIA staff who testified before the committee. ‘This makes no sense to me,” he said.
I’m so tired of the bureaucracy. We expected the report would be made available. You come to us and say things are all splendidly good. You know that they’re depressing. You’re recommending budget cuts, I don’t know if you believe in them or not, but you come here and defend them, it’s unbelievable.
Witnesses who testified at today’s hearing include the Honorable Wendsler Nosie, chairman of the San Carlos Apache tribe, Dr. Monte Roessel, superintendent for Rough Rock Community School, and Valerie Davidson, senior director for Alaska Tribal Health consortium.
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Other News Sources:
Navajo Times
Navajo-Hopi Observer
Farmington Daily Times
Gallup Independent
Indianz.com
Washington Post
Washingtonian Magazine
Washington City Paper
